Burnout 2: Point of Impact

When Burnout 2: Point of Impact appeared on the PS2 about seven months ago, owners of Sony's next generation console were treated to one of the finest arcade-oriented racers of all time. Complete with foot-to-the-floor racing action and spectacular crashes around every corner, Burnout 2 managed to keep the complaints to a minimum. That is, um, except for all the GameCubers out there who, once again, had to patiently wait for a conversion. Well, the time has finally arrived and their patience has been rewarded with a game that has everything that the PS2 version has, along with a number of improvements.

The game starts out with a mandatory but brief training mode that demonstrates and instructs you on the finer points of steering, power sliding, and navigating oncoming traffic to optimize your turbo boost. Although single races are available, you'll want to play through the Championship Mode. Like most racers, this is where you'll be able to unlock all the other little goodies that the game has to offer. As you progress through a series of races on different tracks, finishing first in each race means new modes, new vehicles, and new racing environments. If all of this sounds like another boring arcade racer, then hold on to your hats my friends, I think I hear Crash Mode calling. In Crash Mode, you're actually rewarded for the amount of damage you cause in each crash. And I'm talking about some of the fiercest collisions you've ever seen in a video game. The game also features sweet multiplayer modes, which offer several combinations of split-screen, two-player, CPU-human competitions, as well as a four player Crash Tournament. While both the PS2 and GameCube versions offer the same tight control, as I mentioned earlier, the GameCube version features several enhancements, including 15 more crash junctions, six new locations in cities across the United States, and a new custom series mode which allows you to race in modified vehicles.

While the game play will keep you busy for days on end, you won't be too busy to notice the absolutely brilliant graphics. Highly detailed car models and racing environments are complimented by a fast and fluid frame rate and sense of speed that is unmatched by any other current GameCube racer. A thumping musical sound track that adjusts to the ebb and flow of the on-screen action is accompanied by realistic audio effects that bump and grind with the support of Dolby Pro logic II.

In case you haven't noticed, I like this game and I like it a lot. And while I tend to prefer simulation-style racers to arcade racers, there's no question, this game's got me hooked. Burnout 2 combines tight control and frantic game play with stunning audio/visuals that scream next-generation from start to finish. Don't pass it up!

I know what you're probably saying to yourself. A great racing game from Acclaim? Well, if you don't believe me, read this fine review written about the PS2 version of Burnout 2 a while back' pay no attention to the fact that I wrote that very same review. This is a suped up, hot new version of Burnout 2, dubbed the Developer's Cut, with added car skins, an online leaderboard, and additional crash tracks.

For those of you that haven't played before, you're in for a treat. Most racing games can suffer from an utterly ridiculous and disappointing physics engine that would rather bounce a car around like a ping pong ball than actually race. Others are ultra-realistic, difficult to learn, but usually a pleasure to drive. Burnout 2 strikes a happy medium that makes it not too realistic, and not too arcade like. It's easy to pick up the controller and start playing, and although you might not be completely competitive to begin with, it's an easy hand for learning. Featuring a decent engine that only goes overboard when you're creating a crash at an intersection, I wish I had another game on my shelf that played so well right out of the package.

The structure of the game is ultimately the same as the PS2 version, with single races, multiplayer races, an offensive driving school tutorial, along with a championship mode, and my favorite, the crash mode. There's nothing like getting your car up to 150+ MPH, and then barreling head long into a busy intersection, looking to cause as much damage as possible. This title supports Dolby Digital 5.1, if you've got a sound system nice enough to use it, and thanks to the graphics power of the Xbox, it really shines. I suspect, however, that the original PS2 version was already pushed close to its limit, as you won't find too much in the way of improved graphics here. In my opinion, that's somewhat of an oddity given the relative disparity of quality seen in most games that get released on both systems.

Finally, it's got a great soundtrack that, for being imitation rock, does a great job of keeping you in the feel of the game. I cannot finish this review without saying that I absolutely love this game.

It's been a while since I've gotten my hands on a quality racing title, but I'd like to think I know what one looks like. Burnout 2 definitely fits my criteria for being one hell of a good game. It exploits the console environment perfectly, with unlockable features, and enough party elements to make it fun for a group of friends.

First and foremost, I like the way it handles driving. Before you can play the full race mode, it takes you through Offensive Driving 101, teaching you the most important elements of gameplay, which are also tied to fueling the boost meter, which lets you achieve dramatic speeds. Driving through oncoming traffic, sliding through a turn, and taking jumps are all important skills, without which you'll be ill equipped to progress far through the game. Burnout features a championship racing mode that has trophy races (multiple tracks), one on one races (one track, unlocks a secret car), and pursuit mode, where you'll take on the role of a police officer, required to chase down stop a criminal.

My favorite mode is the Crash game, where you can drive a car at high speed into an intersection full of cars and trucks, looking to create the largest possible accident, totaling millions of dollars in damages. Many of the normal modes are available as multiplayer games, including Crash and Pursuit mode, making Burnout 2 a great party game.

Visually, Burnout 2 is quite attractive. I'd wager, with its large, luscious levels, and relatively high detail levels, that it's competitive with any Xbox racing title. The sound is great, with good sound effects, and an awesome soundtrack that's creative, and doesn't rely on the overused pop music present in so many games of recent times. Without a doubt, it's the game I've had the most fun with recently, and I loved playing it. One last thing: This puppy loads fast'real fast'so you won't need to wait long for your fix.